pen said:I mean, really. What does Charles Bronson have to do with real life? He's an ACTOR, Eager Beaver. In a MOVIE. It's all make believe.
Charles Bronson technically may have been a professional actor, but the fact is that he was Paul Kersey, and the techniques of self defense used by Kersey and other Bronson characters have been adopted on the streets and are the subject of discussion on self defense boards and private vigilante groups such as the Guardian Angels of New York City (if I am correct Bronson was Curtis Sliwa's inspiration, from what I have read). So I think you have defiled this man's memory and completely understated his impact on the culture of street self defense that has developed in the aftermath of the Bronson films.
Bronson himself was a tough little bastard who grew up in a tough coal mining town in Pennsylvania. His family were Polish immigrants and he had a blue collar upbringing and did not miss too many fights in his youth. He drew on these experiences to become well known as a thinking man's street fighter. What you see in his films (have you seen them at all???) is improvisation based on real life experiences that he drew upon.
As a screen tough guy, Bronson merely had to be himself. The fact is that he did make some other very successful films and acted in television as well due to the fact that he also had acting talent and a screen presence. I will grant that his performances in "The Great Escape" and "The Magnificent 7" represented very good acting. His performances in the "Death Wish" films, "The Evil That Men Do", and "The Mechanic", however, were not acting but Bronson simply being himself. I would suggest that you rent these films and enlighten yourself.
I would not advise a client to get their law from TV or a movie, but I would advise anyone interested in the art of self defense to rent the above mentioned films (as well as Bruce Lee's films and in particular "Enter The Dragon", which is 100% real). Bruce Lee, unlike Bronson, was not a professional actor but rather a very charismatic man with unbelievable talent in the martial arts. Bronson's talent was in using the element of surprise as a strategy in self defense on the street.
Enjoy the films, Pen.
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